A Very Buggy Week :) (7/26/10)

FAMILY family family!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so we have a zone activity this week and it's in not very long - so this is going to be REALLY good and hopefully as long as all my other letters :) so i got my package! YEAH! and it was perfect thank you mom because I'm going to the park today and really didn't want to wear long dress pants. :) i love shorts! so this week was so crazy. SO crazy. Monday night we cleaned Cybil's house for her -- that will be important later. tuesday my companion got to go to the temple because it is her halfway mark and i was hoping that, being the WONDERFUL companion you all know i am i would get to go to. well, not how it works when your mission is very small. so i was with another sister all day and it was really great. wednesday -- well i got grilled for the first time by an investigator. and it was AWESOME. it's just way nice to know that we have the true church and no one can prove it wrong. tuesday we also found out that the saying "sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite" IS NOT cute or funny. at all. yes. we have bed bugs. pretty sure we got them from cleaning Cybil's house. mom don't freak out or call the president because he already knows and the whole mission office knows and i wouldn't have told you except for it's pretty funny now and it is what we have done all week. HAH! Thankfully Thursday was deep clean day. I have had more laundry this week than i have in my entire life because i've just washed EVERYTHING and my bedding several times. and yeah. we have a whole bunch of chemicals going on in our apartment from permetherin to bug bombs to borax powder to a TON of raid -- we let's just say it's a good thing i'm not in my apartment breathing deeply very much :) it really is funny. and friday we bug bombed the whole place for the roaches and hey throw in the bed bugs too :) but it was really cool. the elders have been calling all the time asking us if they can do anything and the office keeps very close tabs on us seeing how things are going and seeing what needs to be done. so friday night we were walking around and getting ready to go home when we got a call from the zone leaders telling us that president nelson wanted everyone to get home immediately because there was a TORNADO warning!!!!!!!!!!! holy cow i thought that little sister lauren hill was going to get those not me! it was sweet!!! so we started running as fast as we could and we got POURED on again. the really funny part was we were at prospect park -- same place we got dumped on last time too! every single time we go there we get a lot of rain and we haven't figured out that we REALLY need to take our umbrellas yet. so we laughed our heads off when we found out it was a tornado warning too :) the weather is as freaky as the bugs are in our apt. the day after the tornado warning was SUPER SUPER hot and, as it usually goes on those days, all of our appointments stood us up. praise and bless one of the ward members - she was the only appointment that didn't stand us up and she fed us dinner and i think i drank two or three gallons of homemade lemonade. OH but i almost forgot!!!!!!! as we were walking to one of our appointments that didn't show up we met this guy who was Jewish (that is very VERY common here and people always think we are Jewish too because we are all wearing conservative dresses) anyways this guy stops us and starts chatting with us about what we are doing and why in the world we are walking around in the BLAZING hot sun (we're saving souls... no big deal :) ) and he told us his story. HE IS A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR!!!!!!!!!!! He was born in Aushwitz and his mom hid him IN THE FLOORBOARDS until he was 3 1/2 months old. WOW. yeah after that walking around in the sun didn't seem so bad. way cool guy. he is a professor at columbia university now and he was so nice! good good man. it was a good night. Yesterday we were walking home at the end of the night -- oh yeah dall mentioned that i haven't told you all this... we don't have a car. thank goodness!!!!!!! do you know how much REALLY TIGHT parallel parking i would have to do?! i will take the bed bugs over having a car thank you! -- anyways we were walking home and an ENTIRE bridal party was standing right outside the door freaking out. well, the door into our building got stuck and you couldn't get out of the building or into it. Of course the bride was flipping out and going to call 911 and the fire dept. and everyone else. i thought it was quite hilarious myself. so after 15-20 ish minutes we got in and they all got to the party ok.

SO we had a lesson with Cybil yesterday. and she committed to living the word of wisdom!!!!! and i asked her if she had received an answer for baptism and she said she knew she needed to get baptized!!!! what?! oh but then we found out that, due to some other complications in her life, she won't be able to get baptized until august.... of 2014. yep. but all that means is that i now have a planned trip to new york when i am 25 to come back and see Cybil get baptized.. that will be a REALLY good day. so we will see how everything goes. we are going to talk to president nelson tomorrow to make sure that we can't get permission, but if not - well we will all be so excited for 2014! we met with reginald this week - i think i told you about him he is the guy that speaks french and we met him on the street and by some miracle i had a FRENCH Book of Mormon with me! -- well we met with him and the first thing he says is - i have read alma and nephi. nefi is what it sounded like, but whatever :) HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN MET WITH MISSIONARIES YET AND YOU HAVE READ ALMA AND NEPHI?! yeah. it was really good. and he said that he knows the book is true. and we found out right after that lesson that the sister's area boundaries don't cover reginald. which doesn't even matter because the elders in our district would have to baptize him anyways because they are the ones with the priesthood! so that will be a really good day too. we are hoping for the last day of the transfer for reginald.

well my dearest wonderful family -- that is my whole week! mom i'm serious. quit freaking out about the bugs because i know you are. more bugs = more blessings. and we really are just fine. i'm so glad the reunion went well and that cory and nate didn't get lost in oblivion and that everyone is doing well. i love you all so much more than i can say and i am so blessed to have you as my family. as for the little coleman ---- 2 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i better get a TON of pictures and i'm so excited for all of you to meet him! chels i will be praying that he doesn't come early :) tell quinn and miranda i say congratulations and miranda looks pretty and all of that wedding jazz. and jaleesa as well. tell them both thank you so much for thinking of me and sending me announcements and i'm happy for them. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

God is real. His love is incredible. Miracles happen.

Love you!
Sister Mich

PICTURES PICTURES

My Dearest Dearest Family, SO -- this week. FLEW by! And it was absolutely incredible. Sister De La Mare had some leadership meetings to go to and so I went to Queens to do exchanges with Sister Kim and oh yes -- another Sister Smith. From Idaho. With six kids in the family. And the youngest is 11. Weird. But it was really good. I was there on Wed and Thurs -- and saw A TRACTOR on the freeway!!!!!! I got so excited and started running after it like a three year old after an ice cream truck :) yep I'm pretty proud of my roots. Don't worry - I got my picture! So yeah - exchanges were great because the city didn't smell like trash and there were people that actually lived in houses - not apartments. that was really weird. But it was SO GREAT to come back to Brooklyn. I really love it here. And Thursday night -- oh family buckle up for this one! -- we had a lesson with Cybil. WOW!!!!! I'm still just in awe. So here goes. In Sister De La Mare's meeting she learned about how critical the Book of Mormon is in the conversion process and how investigators absolutely will not progress if they are not reading it. Well, missionaries have been meeting with Cybil for about three or four months now and guess what - no reading. So Sister D and I were planning on figuring out the situation when we went over and we were going to figure out if Cybil is really serious about committing or if we were going to have to drop her. Bah. The thought of dropping that woman broke my heart. She needs this gospel SO much and yeah. So we went over, said the prayer, and not kidding FIRST thing that comes out of Cybil's mouth is "so I was reading in Alma the other day" SHUT UP!! I really almost forgot how to breathe. And Cybil was saying that she was reading about how those who have been told the gospel are going to be in a very bad way if they reject it after they have been told. YEAH! So basically we didn't even have to chastise her -- which is AWESOME because Alma does a much better job at that than I would. And yeah - incredible. The spirit was so strong and both Sis. D and I could tell that she is a changed person. So we are going over tomorrow night -- still have a ways to go because we were told by a sister at church that she goes and smokes between sacrament and relief society. whatever. that is going to change real quick :) and yeah. so the lesson was awesome, the kids were actually quiet, which is an incredible miracle in and of itself, and then right when we were winding down one of the kids - J.J. - leaves the room and comes back in with his arms folded - holding something. and then he pulls it out - he has a HUGE butcher knife and starts waving it around. HAHA! So of course I'm trying not to laugh and Cybil runs over and takes it away. Pretty funny. i almost forgot! cybil was talking to her probation officer and the officer set her up with a job. a temp agency, but a job! yes, God is real. And for the rest of the week - it finally rained - thank goodness because that means it's not as hot - but also means that the humidity is through the roof. But Tuesday was quite the day. It was POURING - like nothing Idaho has ever seen before - probably very similar to Georgia weather- and Sister De La Mare and I forgot our umbrellas. Oh yeah. We started Tuesday morning on a quest (which the morning was beautiful and sunny by the way) on a quest to this place Prospect Park. Not sure if I told you last week, but we did service at the park and I met this kid - Ramen - who is really ready for the gospel. And I didn't have a book of mormon to give him. stupid i know. and so i really wanted to meet up with him again. well prospect park is clear the crap out there on the opposite border of where we live in our area. so sis d and i leave with this book of mormon, ready to walk to the end of the earth, and it starts raining SO HARD. we kept going. still raining. and anyways, we got drenched, left for home right at the edge of prospect park because no one was in the park and went home for lunch to change. we had around 15 appointments that day to visit a bunch of investigators and referrals - well ZERO of them were home. and we were soaked. and the day just kept going and going and we were laughing because we looked like a couple of drowned rats (oh and i had to wear my glasses that day because my eyes were freaking out so i just saw through the rain drops all day) and yeah. so i kept saying to sis d that some miracle was bound to happen because there were a lot of forces at work trying to keep us discouraged so that we wouldn't find someone or something. OH YEAH! that's exactly what was happening! we were walking and passed this guy that was standing in the middle of the driveway to an apt. building and he was really far away from us. we passed and i felt like we should talk to him, but i didn't want to because he was really far away and stuff - well i turned around and we went to talk to him. he is SO READY for the gospel. his name is ronald and we talked for a good 15-20 minutes which is very unusual here and he set up an appointment and said he wants to make it worth our time so he is inviting a bunch of friends. oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!! take that rain! so we're really excited for that. hmm-- other things that have happened this week - i spoke in church yesterday on service and it went really well. Washington Kim got confirmed and oh my word i just remembered the lesson we had with him. we were trying to explain the priesthood and he got off on a tangent about eternal marriage and oh dear it was FUNNY!! first of all Washington Kim is 29, a very serious politician, Korean, and yeah now you can hear the story. he asked us how to date and asked us if all he needed to do was go up to someone and ask her if she would be his eternal companion -- obviously we told him no that is NOT how you date - even though some boys at BYU and BYU-I think that's how it's done :) and then he asked us "so it's ok for me to ask anyone out that doesn't have a badge right?" and then we explained to him that yes, he can't ask us out because we are missionaries and he should probably check for both a badge and a wedding ring before he asks someone out. another great day - Saturday the bishop decided to take all the missionaries to lunch at a Chinese buffet which is the biggest blessing EVER because we hadn't had a dinner appointment yet and missionaries kinda eat like crap because you don't have any time - dad, dall, you know exactly what i'm talking about. so we had an appointment right before lunch and we were starving because it was already 230 -- well the lady thought we were just coming over for lunch and not teaching her. so she had toast, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs for us. so sis d and i were so sad because we had to waste precious room in our stomachs on hot dogs :( but it was really good and really REALLY sweet of her and the chinese buffet - OH YEAH! it was a good day :) oh so we were walking (what? missionaries walking?!) and some NYPD called us over and talked to us for a while and it was REALLY cool. they said they really admired us and thought it was way cool that we didn't drink or smoke or curse. they also asked us if we ate cheese, had ten wives, could flip a lightswitch on saturdays, and how much we got paid for every person we baptized. don't worry - we straightened everything out :) and yeah, it was cool. oh and i threw a pair of contacts away this week which means I have been out a whole month! yeah that's weird! but i'm still so so so new :) i get asked a lot if i'm from new york because i smile at people and they automatically know that i'm not from around here. i want to leave you all with a quote from one of the elders in my district -- he was talking about faith and having as much faith as a mustard seed and he said that that much faith really will move mountains - one shovel-full at a time. it's true. Heavenly Father is real and He loves us and we can do anything with His help - we just have to pray like it depends on Him and work our little bums off like it depends on us. LOVE YOU!

First - Pres. and Sis. Nelson and ME! Second - SAL!!!!!!!!!! Dall, put it on the FB :) Third - my creature :) Fourth - My MTC companion Sister Kuttler and I Fifth - my whole MTC district that is now all in TX, but i really think it is hotter here and the last - the classic!

I KNOW you all have been dying to see my little face with the skyscrapers! So the first one is the day that it rained so bad -- the second one is actually when i went on exchanges (nope that's not in brooklyn because you can't see manhattan from where i am) and the third is pretty obvious :) WASHINGTON KIM'S baptism!!!!!!!! woot! and there might be several of these because i don't know how many pics i can send at once... well we shall see! fourth is on my second day in NY - transfer day- and from left to right - sister isert (she is already home, that was her last day, but she trained sis. de la mare) sister de la mare and yours truly :)

Battle of Brooklyn -- Score: Cockroaches - 786 Sister Smith - 135

My FAMILY!!!!
Oh my word. I have a LOT to tell you. Thankfully I don't have the MTC timer ticking down my minutes :) and the enter button works! And life is good. And yes - I really have killed at least 135 cockroaches already. And I don't even get grossed out to kill them anymore!
WELL, holy cow it seems like a year and a half has already gone by just this week. I was put into Midwood BROOKLYN! And I'm right in the heart of the city. Holy cow. I love it. SO MUCH! My companion's name is Sister De La Mare and she is incredible. Love her more than I can say already - she is from SLC and has been out exactly nine months. She is adorable and we get along so well and I love being her companion and teaching with her! Ok so the first day I spent the night at the President's house and there were 22 new missionaries that all slept over. Poor Sister Nelson cooked the best meal for all of us and was so so sweet to us. I love her already. 22 missionaries is very unusual - there are about 200 in the mission so we made up a big chunk. And I found out that there are only 10 English sisters in the whole mission! And about 12 more Spanish sisters. So I am the luckiest person in the whole world to have been called here. :) Well, New York is first - awesome. Second - blasted hot. It's been unusually hot here (a welcome present just for me!) and it's been about 100 degrees everyday -- without humidity. So add in 80% humidity and I go through as much water as the entire state of Idaho has for the last twenty years! Basically I have to wash my clothes a lot and wear my hair in a ponytail so I don't die :) There are so many people here!!!!!!!!!!!! And the diversity is AWESOME! We were walking the street the other day and I saw this old Jamaican man that was seriously around 75 doing this dance to Bob Marley and I busted up laughing. I love Brooklyn! Oh and DALL! I saw SAL! He was looking for me at transfers and of course saw me in the first couple of minutes and we talked for a while and loved it! He is serving in Brooklyn too, but it's in East New York where sisters can't serve because it's too dangerous. Ok and back to my life. There are two spanish sisters in my apartment and then me and my companion in our apartment. It looks like a hotel in the hallways and yes chad - it's more ghetto here than Idaho will ever be :) and yep - the cockroaches. they gross me out so bad, but we all will jump up from the table and just start killing them. It's good. And now I need to start on all of the miracles I saw this week. HOLY CRAP! I think I can say that when I'm talking about miracles -- if not, whatev. First, there is this Korean guy named Washington Kim that the elders met the Friday before I got here and gave him to us on tuesday -- well he got BAPTIZED yesterday!!!! He is the most prepared person to receive the gospel ever! He had been to church a couple of times in Washington D.C. and then came up here and met us and said that he wanted to get baptized as soon as possible because he knew that there would be opposition and he didn't want Satan to keep him from making the most important step in his life so far. WOW!!! So we taught him every day and then he got baptized and literally four hours after his baptism we got a text from him telling us that he was at the temple - he found a flyer for some YSA activity and he just went. And then he texted us this morning asking if there was any activities at all he could go to today. Yeah how's that for a welcome to NY?! Bring on the heat baby! And then another miracle -- we seriously have had HUNDREDS this week - not exaggerating at all. We are working with this lady named Cybil and her husband is in jail (that happens a lot I guess) and she has four little kids under the age of 6. Well, she has been taught for about three months now and we went to go over and re-teach her the restoration. During the lesson we found out that she just got kicked out of nursing school which really bites and she doesn't know what to do with school or job or what. Well, I had the strongest impression that I have EVER had in my life to promise her that if she reads the Book of Mormon and prays about Joseph Smith that she would find a job. WHOA!!!!! I am so humbled SO HUMBLED that Heavenly Father has called me, some punk kid, to be His mouthpiece. And the power that He gives His servants is INCREDIBLE. More than just incredible, it is indescribable. P.S. PLEASE keep Cybil in your prayers and pray for her to have the desires to really act on everything that she already knows. And THEN another day we got stood up a couple times and so I knew that Satan was just trying to discourage us to keep us from a really big miracle. YEP that's exactly what he was trying to do. So I felt like we should visit two ladies that are not active - well we went to their apt (by the way, there is hardly anyone who doesn't live in a big ol' fatty apt building here -- but ALL the hallways aren't air conditioned which STINKS!) and yeah they weren't home. WELL, time for the miracle. We started going down and I said Sister - let's knock this floor - first door - they saw us through the peep hole and left :) second door -- this lady named Dina opens the door and she got so excited when we told her that there is a living prophet on the earth today. Just you wait, she is going to get baptized. AND THEN, same day, we were taking a Bible to a lady who requested one and she started talking to us and we taught her about the restoration and she seriously PHYSICALLY changed when we told her about prophets. You could see hope just change her. AND THEN!!! We were walking the street and saying hello to everyone and I smiled at this guy who stopped us and said - do you know me? (everyone kinda gets weirded out when we smile at them because they aren't used to people just being nice for the heck of it) well anyway we talked to him and he just barely got out of rehab for some serious crap and says that he looks at the sky and just knows there is a God, but hasn't found him yet. So we taught him. And he's going going to get baptized too - I know it! And yeah -- what else? The subways are SWEET! Coming home from the mission office we saw the NY skyline (it's really REALLY cool) and saw the Statue of Liberty in the distance (also REALLY cool) and yeah. As for all of your questions -- yes, mom the mission president is taking great care of me - he is SO RELAXED and I ALMOST FORGOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have to wear NYLONS!!!!!!!!!!! (except for in the chapel) and mom - i can wear ANYTHING basically (still a dress) but I can even wear jeans on P-day! SO - I think I'm going to be buying some - or if you want (seriously you don't have to because postage i know is expensive) you can send me mine :) and you can even send any of my shorts! I can wear them on p-day and service stuff too! WOOT! AND, I can listen to any uplifting music - so burn anything you got :) and this might be bad but i started laughing when I heard about Westmark :) THANK YOU Dad for getting it worked out and honestly - if they took what $300 - well I really could care less :) so if it's a headache - don't worry about it. And to the person in Chicago -- (this is me yelling because they are far away) GOD STILL LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!! Chad - I wish SO BAD that I could have been there to see the snake incident! And the Betty Ross one too.I'm cracking up right now about it actually. And my P-day is Monday and I can't print off any of your letters so if you ever want to print them and send them - well that would be just fine by me! And all the mail just goes to the mission office and they forward it to us or we pick it up - they said it is easier that way so yeah. That and I don't even know my apartment address anyway :) and I love you all and your letters seriously made my day. It's SO GOOD to hear from you - just love you all! Oh and I got asked several times if I was a nun and have had people ask me for my autograph and hit on me A LOT. Haha! Cracks me up!
Ok before I go I want all of you to know how grateful I am for you. I have THE BEST family in the entire world, and I really don't know how I got to be so blessed to have you all. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for raising us in the gospel and for making so many incredible memories with us. I am in awe at how much I am blessed. You are the best, cutest, best, best, best, funniest, most awesomest family EVER! :)

And I love you.

And the church is TRUE! And God is real. And miracles happen.
Love always,
Sister Mich (or Smith - whatever :)

June 29, 2010

HOLLA! ok this computer has issues too.... so deal with it :) thank you all so much for the letters!!! i love them more than you will ever know - unless you are dad, dall, russ, or have ever been on a mission :) and i'm so pumped that you are in alturus right now! i think.. well, some items of business that make me so so so happy! i got my flight plans this week! and i'm leaving july 5th - american airlines (chels that's for you but i don't think you will want to magically show up at the airport after you hear this one) and i report to the travel office at 4:00 a..m on the 5th.. that means that i will be at the airport at around 5 and i CAN CALL YOU FROM THE AIRPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so seriously, if none of you wake up for me to call -- well i will kill you after i get done crying my eyes out.. my plane leaves around 7, but i have to check in and get into security pretty quick.. and dall - i waited again at the temple on sunday, but i was too early.. we won't have a temple trip this sunday because we have a big travel devotional that we have to be to.. HOLY CRAP I'M LEAVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M GONE IN LESS THAN 6 DAYS! What in the?! I have been seriously humbled this week -- especially whenever i think about when i'm leaving.. ok other items of business - chels i need your address so that i can send you a letter and you can get that to me really fast through dearelder..com (one period) and yeah it will get to me the same day and it's free- MOM CHELS NEEDS MY ADDRESS REALLY REALLY BAD - but chels it is on facebook right under my picture.. ok i really hoped that i would never have to do this - but i do and i apologize.. dearly apologize.. i have to get my shot this week and it's $90 and i also have to pay for my bags to get on the flight and a phone card so i can call all of you - chels i really need your phone number so i can call and dall i have yours memorized i think 8019182922 right? ok but anyway i only have 120 with me and dad was supposed to send my debit card but it might be too late when they get home from alturus.. chels and dall would you be able to call mom and dad or something? i have full faith in y'all that you can get it all to me.. and anyways i'm so so so sorry to bug everyone -- but i don't know what else to do! ok so this week - well i have learned more than i have in a really really long time.. my district cracks me up - one kid smells hand sanitizer alll the time because he loves it and i don't know why :) and i'm still really loving my companion and i'm loving everything that i'm learning.. and holy cow.. holy holy cow am i learning.. i know i'm a cheesy missionary :) sorry! but i'm learning so much that i HAVE to rely on Heavenly Father.. for everything.. and yeah - way cool.. but this week was the new mission president's seminar and our devotional HAD TEN APOSTLES THERE!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah.. ten! and i met Elder Nelson this week and Elder Oaks talked to us and i got to meet a ton of new mission presidents and saw Pres.. Hinckley's son and it was a really really cool week.. only downside was that they had to close half the cafeteria for them so we have all been on top of each other trying to eat :) and yeah - umm my life is pretty standard - i study for a million hours every day and i learn a lot about Christ and church! :) but it's so so so good.. Our branch president's wife is the cutest thing in the world - she comes to visit us in our room once a week and isn't supposed to bring us food so she brings us "medication" which is brownies and cookies and so much for trying to be healthy! but she is adorable and loves us so so much.. it's nice to have someone that gives you hugs for your family all the time :) ok i really hate only having 30 min here - my time is basically gone already and i look forward to this all week! lame.. whatever.. but PLEASE write :) dearelder will get it here in time and i am still here till sunday.. so yeah.. write me :) and i just love you all! and i'm so excited to talk to you and chels -- please please send your address to dearelder - i can only write today so i will have a letter just waiting for your address :) I LOVE MY FAMILY I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM! you are the best.. the gospel IS TRUE and brings you so much peace.. don't know how people can live without it -- that's why i'm bustin out of this joint! so i can go tell them! oh and chalyse! i got your letter! send me a dearelder too so i can have your address :) LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! ------- Sister Mich Smith

June 22, 2010

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow. So these computers stink and there is a big red timer counting down the time I have to write you. That's why I really really need you to forward this to everyone that wants it. Oh and the enter key is not working so it's going to be one very long paragraph. Good thing I can type fast! Ok well, the day I left was...... whew a long day. but a very good one.. i have never felt so much peace over where i am in my life.. i know that i promised not to be a cheesy missionary, but guess what? there is a huge reason that we're all cheesy.. i take that promise back.. i'm going to be cheesy.. because heavenly father is real and he really watches out for his missionaries and i have felt that a lot this last week.. WEIRD one week of my mission is already gone.. crap.. oh and if you can't tell by now the period key doubles every time i hit it.. this is going to be really annoying but whatever, patience is a virtue.. well, first day was a lot of orientation and junk and everyone kept coming up to us all and welcoming us and telling us how great the MTC is and how much we will love it.. kind of embarrassing to have a huge orange dot on your name tag telling everyone that you have no idea what you are doing and you are scared out of your mind.. but you get a lot of love from it so it's good.. well, like i said in my letter that i hope mom shared with the whole family and dall and chels.... my companion is sister kuttler.. she is from provo and is so cute.. she's really quiet and says she is so grateful that i am talkative so that at least someone is talking! i say hi to everyone here and i do it mostly because it freaks all the elders out that some girl is saying hello to them.. haha! but it's so cute! the elders are yes super immature but all of the teachers and branch presidents have threatened them within an inch of their life to show us the utmost respect as sisters.. everytime i come to the table in the cafeteria, every elder stands until i sit down.. and i'm not supposed to open any door ever which i do but most of the time the elders take care of that.. how cute.. the other day we were at dinner and some elder thought he was a show off and ripped an apple in half with just his hands.. don't know how it happened but somehow the next minute an elder shoved an apple into my hands and all the elders were cheering for me.. well guess what?! I DID IT! i ripped it apart.. respect.... EARNED! and now i'm the cool sister.. what now? kidding.. dall, i know i didn't see you on my temple walk but that is because i was at devotional when you were there -- i can't say anything more because we really really aren't supposed to tell you when we take our walk.. but i look for your jeep everytime i go outside and to the temple and one day i'm going to see you.. yep.. i saw bryce the other day and he was supposed to tell you hi.. and family -- I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! seriously, y'all are incredible.. well, i'm learning so much right now and the biggest thing i'm learning is how inadequate i am to be doing the lord's work.. geez.. a lot of responsibility and i am nowhere near being able to handle it without a tremendous amount of help from the lord.. very humbling to know that he has entrusted eight million people's salvation to me.. but, i wouldn't have anything else.. it really is great when people ask me where i'm going -- everyone is jealous!!!! haha i have the best mission in the whole world! kidding.. everyone is important.. well, we have three companionships of elders in our district and two of sisters.. the other sister companionship is going to NY with me and everyone else is going to dallas, tx.. i really really really loved your letters and love to hear from you! which basically means keep writing or i will kill you all when i get home.. and chels, AWW cade is so freaking adorable! i don't think i can get on your blog until i'm in the field -- so keep uploading pics ;) but i don't have anything to be nervous about.. i have been blessed with so much SO MUCH peace that it truly is incredible.. this week is the new mission president's training seminar that happens once a year so ten bucks says i see an apostle or the prophet this week.. YEAH!!!!!!!!! and we keep hearing that we are the luckiest misssionaries because we are here right now - i would agree.. well, time is winding down very quickly - the other missionaries are having their families send them letters (dearelder is just great because i get it that day!!!!!!!!!!!! yahoo! love mail!) and it takes less of our precious time that we have on the internet.. i'm going to send this so that i don't get kicked off without being able to send an email and i will finish in just a sec I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU